The Gospel of the Second Chance
Worship
Bright Intervals
40 Brief Worship Services and Meditations for Any Occasion
Object:
Greeting and Call To Worship
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's Holy Name!
Opening Prayer
God of grace, we come into your presence knowing that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet, in your mercy, you have promised to forgive us and make us whiter than snow. Let this good news of our faith fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving as we worship you. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Just As I Am, Without One Plea"
Charlotte Elliott, the author of this hymn, was an invalid much of her life. In the year 1834 Miss Elliott was living in Brighton in her native England. She was 45 years old and had been a devoted Christian for many years. Even so, she was plagued with unhappiness over her seeming uselessness, for everyone around her was busy in the service of God. In her extreme depression, she was tempted to doubt the reality of her spiritual life. Gathering strength and resolve, she decided to make a list of the reasons for trusting in Jesus Christ. The result was the text of this wonderful hymn.
Scripture Reading
Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:11
Meditation
There is a person in the New Testament whose struggle with faith can be a great source of encouragement to us. His name was John Mark, and most scholars believe he is the author of the Gospel that bears his name. His story is like a drama in four short scenes.
Scene 1 is about his start in the Christian faith. Mark's mother, Mary, was most likely the one who put her home in Jerusalem at Jesus' disposal. It was in the Upper Room of that home where Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper together. Mark grew up around those first followers of Jesus. He may even have been a secret disciple who was there with the Twelve on that last night. The Bible tells about a young man who, when Jesus was arrested, slipped out of his clothing and ran away naked into the night! Perhaps that young man was Mark.
Scene 2 describes Mark's faltering in his life as a Christian. Paul and Barnabas have been chosen by the young Christian Church to be the first missionaries, and they decide to take a young and enthusiastic John Mark with them. But in the midst of that first missionary journey, the going gets really rough. The missionaries are not always warmly received. They are traveling in the heat of the summer, and are facing a very rough journey over the mountains when John Mark decides to quit and go home. The Bible says simply, "John left them and returned to Jerusalem." Someone has suggested that at this point, Mark is a disciple with a backbone of spaghetti! He made a good start, but he could not see it through.
Scene 3 describes his bitter disappointment. Years have passed and Mark has matured. He feels he is now ready for missionary work and is eager to prove himself to Paul. But when he signs up for another trip, "Paul thought it best not to take John Mark who had deserted them in Pamphylia." That must have been an awful blow to Mark, but perhaps he learned something about having to live with the consequences of his actions.
Scene 4 describes his restoration as a Christian. Years have passed and Paul has been in Rome in prison. From Rome he writes to Timothy, saying, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he has been very useful in serving me." That one sentence speaks volumes about the gospel of the second chance. John Mark may have stumbled in his walk of faith, but God's grace is so strong that Mark was restored and forgiven. No wonder this young man was eager to write the story of Jesus and his ministry! He had experienced the love of Jesus firsthand!
The novelist A. J. Cronin was once a doctor in Wales. One night he instructed a young nurse to be sure to clear a breathing tube in her patient before seeking other help. In the night the patient had difficulty breathing. The young nurse panicked. Instead of clearing the tube, she ran for help and the patient died. She pleaded with Cronin for just one more chance. At first, he refused her, but then he remembered how Christ died to give us a second chance, and the next day he forgave that young nurse for her failure. She went on to become the superintendent of the largest children's hospital in Britain. Truly, our faith is based on the gospel of the second chance!
Closing Prayer
O God, we give thanks that nothing can ever separate us from your love in Christ. We come, just as we are, to experience again your grace and mercy. Renew our faith, cleanse our hearts, and send us forth to serve our Living Lord.
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God's Holy Name!
Opening Prayer
God of grace, we come into your presence knowing that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Yet, in your mercy, you have promised to forgive us and make us whiter than snow. Let this good news of our faith fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving as we worship you. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"Just As I Am, Without One Plea"
Charlotte Elliott, the author of this hymn, was an invalid much of her life. In the year 1834 Miss Elliott was living in Brighton in her native England. She was 45 years old and had been a devoted Christian for many years. Even so, she was plagued with unhappiness over her seeming uselessness, for everyone around her was busy in the service of God. In her extreme depression, she was tempted to doubt the reality of her spiritual life. Gathering strength and resolve, she decided to make a list of the reasons for trusting in Jesus Christ. The result was the text of this wonderful hymn.
Scripture Reading
Acts 15:36-41; 2 Timothy 4:11
Meditation
There is a person in the New Testament whose struggle with faith can be a great source of encouragement to us. His name was John Mark, and most scholars believe he is the author of the Gospel that bears his name. His story is like a drama in four short scenes.
Scene 1 is about his start in the Christian faith. Mark's mother, Mary, was most likely the one who put her home in Jerusalem at Jesus' disposal. It was in the Upper Room of that home where Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper together. Mark grew up around those first followers of Jesus. He may even have been a secret disciple who was there with the Twelve on that last night. The Bible tells about a young man who, when Jesus was arrested, slipped out of his clothing and ran away naked into the night! Perhaps that young man was Mark.
Scene 2 describes Mark's faltering in his life as a Christian. Paul and Barnabas have been chosen by the young Christian Church to be the first missionaries, and they decide to take a young and enthusiastic John Mark with them. But in the midst of that first missionary journey, the going gets really rough. The missionaries are not always warmly received. They are traveling in the heat of the summer, and are facing a very rough journey over the mountains when John Mark decides to quit and go home. The Bible says simply, "John left them and returned to Jerusalem." Someone has suggested that at this point, Mark is a disciple with a backbone of spaghetti! He made a good start, but he could not see it through.
Scene 3 describes his bitter disappointment. Years have passed and Mark has matured. He feels he is now ready for missionary work and is eager to prove himself to Paul. But when he signs up for another trip, "Paul thought it best not to take John Mark who had deserted them in Pamphylia." That must have been an awful blow to Mark, but perhaps he learned something about having to live with the consequences of his actions.
Scene 4 describes his restoration as a Christian. Years have passed and Paul has been in Rome in prison. From Rome he writes to Timothy, saying, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he has been very useful in serving me." That one sentence speaks volumes about the gospel of the second chance. John Mark may have stumbled in his walk of faith, but God's grace is so strong that Mark was restored and forgiven. No wonder this young man was eager to write the story of Jesus and his ministry! He had experienced the love of Jesus firsthand!
The novelist A. J. Cronin was once a doctor in Wales. One night he instructed a young nurse to be sure to clear a breathing tube in her patient before seeking other help. In the night the patient had difficulty breathing. The young nurse panicked. Instead of clearing the tube, she ran for help and the patient died. She pleaded with Cronin for just one more chance. At first, he refused her, but then he remembered how Christ died to give us a second chance, and the next day he forgave that young nurse for her failure. She went on to become the superintendent of the largest children's hospital in Britain. Truly, our faith is based on the gospel of the second chance!
Closing Prayer
O God, we give thanks that nothing can ever separate us from your love in Christ. We come, just as we are, to experience again your grace and mercy. Renew our faith, cleanse our hearts, and send us forth to serve our Living Lord.
Benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
